Ten-eleven translocation (TET) proteins oxidize 5-methylcytosine (5mC) to 5-hydroxymethylcytosine (5hmC), 5-formylcytosine (5fC) and 5-carboxylcytosine (5caC). 5fC and 5caC can be excised and ...repaired by the base excision repair (BER) pathway, implicating 5mC oxidation in active DNA demethylation. Genome-wide DNA methylation is erased in the transition from metastable states to the ground state of embryonic stem cells (ESCs) and in migrating primordial germ cells (PGCs), although some resistant regions become demethylated only in gonadal PGCs. Understanding the mechanisms underlying global hypomethylation in naive ESCs and developing PGCs will be useful for realizing cellular pluripotency and totipotency. In this study, we found that PRDM14, the PR domain-containing transcriptional regulator, accelerates the TET-BER cycle, resulting in the promotion of active DNA demethylation in ESCs. Induction of Prdm14 expression transiently elevated 5hmC, followed by the reduction of 5mC at pluripotency-associated genes, germline-specific genes and imprinted loci, but not across the entire genome, which resembles the second wave of DNA demethylation observed in gonadal PGCs. PRDM14 physically interacts with TET1 and TET2 and enhances the recruitment of TET1 and TET2 at target loci. Knockdown of TET1 and TET2 impaired transcriptional regulation and DNA demethylation by PRDM14. The repression of the BER pathway by administration of pharmacological inhibitors of APE1 and PARP1 and the knockdown of thymine DNA glycosylase (TDG) also impaired DNA demethylation by PRDM14. Furthermore, DNA demethylation induced by PRDM14 takes place normally in the presence of aphidicolin, which is an inhibitor of G1/S progression. Together, our analysis provides mechanistic insight into DNA demethylation in naive pluripotent stem cells and developing PGCs.
Nonylphenol (NP), an endocrine disrupting chemical, is widely used in industrial and agricultural processes, causing NP influx into aquatic environments. NP induces hormonal imbalance, and male ...feminization, and reduces germ cell production during spermatogenesis; however, the mechanism by which it affects spermatogenesis remains unknown. Here, we investigated the effect of NP on spermatogenesis in honmoroko (Gnathopogon caerulescens), an endangered fish endemic to Lake Biwa, Japan, using an in vitro differentiation system. We collected spermatogonia from the testes of non-spawning G. caerulescens and subjected them to suspension culture. The spermatogonia differentiated into flagellated spermatozoa in 3 weeks, regardless of the presence of NP. NP concentrations as low as 1 nM caused a decrease in the number of germ cells in a dose-dependent manner, whereas the number of somatic cells decreased only at a high concentration of 1 μM. Flow cytometric analysis revealed that the decrease in germ cell number was attributed to haploids (spermatids and spermatozoa); the number of spermatogonia and spermatocytes was not affected by NP treatment. This result is consistent with the hypothesis that NP might repress the second meiosis or induce apoptosis in haploids. This study demonstrated that the combination of in vitro germ cell differentiation and flow cytometric analysis is useful for evaluating the direct effects of NP on germ cell differentiation in endangered endemic fish.
•Nonylphenol reduces the number of haploid cells during spermatogenesis.•In vitro spermatogenesis reduces the experimental duration.•Nonylphenol affects spermatogenesis even at low concentrations (1 nM).•Nonylphenol may repress the second meiosis or induce apoptosis in haploid cells.•In vitro spermatogenesis and flow cytometry enables quantitative evaluation of chemicals.
Tektins are a group of microtubule‐stabilizing proteins necessary for cilia and flagella assembly. TEKTIN1 (TEKT1) is used as a sperm marker for monitoring germ cell differentiation in embryonic stem ...(ES) and induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cells. Although upregulation of TEKT1 has been reported during spontaneous differentiation of ES and iPS cells, it is unclear which cells express TEKT1. To identify TEKT1‐expressing cells, we established an ES cell line derived from cynomolgus monkeys (Macaca fascicularis), which expresses Venus controlled by the TEKT1 promoter. Venus expression was detected at 5 weeks of differentiation on the surface of the embryoid body (EB), and it gradually increased with the concomitant formation of a leash‐like structure at the EB periphery. Motile cilia were observed on the surface of the Venus‐positive leash‐like structure after 8 weeks of differentiation. The expression of cilia markers as well as TEKT1–5 and 9 + 2 microtubule structures, which are characteristic of motile cilia, were detected in Venus‐positive cells. These results demonstrated that TEKT1‐expressing cells are multiciliated epithelial‐like cells that form a leash‐like structure during the spontaneous differentiation of ES and iPS cells. These findings will provide a new research strategy for studying cilia biology, including ciliogenesis and ciliopathies.
We identified TEKT1‐expressing cells using monkey ES cell line, which expresses Venus controlled by the TEKT1 promoter. Venus‐positive cells spontaneously formed a leash‐like structure and many motile cilia were observed on the surface. These findings will provide a new research strategy for studying cilia biology, including ciliogenesis and ciliopathies.
Many endemic fish species are threatened with extinction. Conservation strategies and the restoration of endemic fish after extinction must therefore be investigated. Although sperm cryopreservation ...is indispensable for the conservation of endangered fishes, the limited number of mature fish and limited availability (volume and period) of sperm from small endemic fish hinders the optimization and practical use of this material. In this report, we demonstrate the in vitro differentiation of fertile sperm from cryopreserved spermatogonia of juveniles of the endangered small cyprinid honmoroko (Gnathopogon caerulescens), which is endemic to Lake Biwa in Japan. The entire process of spermatogenesis was recapitulated in vitro using cryopreserved spermatogonia of non-spawning adult and juvenile fish. The differentiation of sperm from spermatogonia was captured as a time-lapse video and confirmed by 5-ethynyl-2'-deoxyuridine (EdU) incorporation into sperm. Fertility was demonstrated by artificial insemination. These results suggest that the combination of cryopreservation of spermatogonia and in vitro sperm differentiation will provide a new and promising strategy for the preservation of paternal genetic materials.
Fishes expressing a fluorescent protein in germ cells are useful to perform germ cell transfer experiments for conservation study. Nonetheless, no such fish has been generated in endangered endemic ...fishes. In this study, we tried to produce a fish expressing Venus fluorescent protein in germ cells using Honmoroko (Gnathopogon caerulescens), which is one of the threatened small cyprinid endemic to the ancient Lake Biwa in Japan. To achieve germ cell‐specific expression of Venus, we used piwil1 (formally known as ziwi) promoter and Tol2 transposon system. Following the co‐injection of the piwil1‐Venus expression vector and the Tol2 transposase mRNA into fertilized eggs, presumptive transgenic fish were reared. At 7 months of post‐fertilization, about 19% (10/52) of the examined larvae showed Venus fluorescence in their gonad specifically. Immunohistological staining and in vitro spermatogenesis using gonads of the juvenile founder fish revealed that Venus expression was detected in spermatogonia and spermatocyte in male, and oogonia and stage I and II oocytes in female. These results indicate that the Tol2 transposon and zebrafish piwil1 promoter enabled gene transfer and germ cell‐specific expression of Venus in G. caerulescens. In addition, in vitro culture of juvenile spermatogonia enables the rapid validation of temporal expression of transgene during spermatogenesis.
•BPA and NP affect the expression of pre- and early-meiotic germ cell marker genes.•GO-based microarray analysis using published GeneChip data identified the functions of EDCs.•BPA and NP affect ...genes with GO terms related to germ cell development and reproduction.•Feminizing effect of BPA and NP might be attributed to the suppression of male gonadal development.
Effects of endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs) on reproduction have not been fully explained comprehensively. In this study, we tried to validate the common effect of Bisphenol A (BPA) and Nonylphenol (NP) on the differentiation of embryonic stem (ES) cells and found that they modify the expression of germ cell specific genes. To elucidate functional significance on biological process, we performed Gene Ontology (GO)-based microarray analysis comparing with published GeneChip data of primordial germ cell development in vivo. Cluster analysis of gene expression profile revealed that EDC treatment and primordial germ cell (PGC) development shared characteristic cluster consists of GO terms related to “germ cell development” and “reproduction”. In the GO term “reproduction”, meiosis related genes showed high expression level by EDC exposure. These results suggest that BPA and NP affect not only some of the germ cell specific genes, but functionally interferes germ cell development and reproduction.
We investigated the feasibility of cryopreservation of spermatogonia and oogonia in the critically endangered cyprinid honmoroko
Gnathopogon caerulescens
using slow-cooling (freezing) and ...rapid-cooling (vitrification) methods. Initially, we examined the testicular cell toxicities and glass-forming properties of the five cryoprotectants: ethylene glycol (EG), glycerol (GC), dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO), propylene glycol (PG), and 1,3-butylene glycol (BG), and we determined cryoprotectant concentrations that are suitable for freezing and vitrification solutions, respectively. Subsequently, we prepared the freezing solutions of EG, GC, DMSO, PG, and BG at 3, 2, 3, 2, and 2 M and vitrification solutions at 7, 6, 5, 5, and 4 M, respectively. Following the cryopreservation of the testicular cells mainly containing early-stage spermatogenic cells (e.g., spermatogonia and primary spermatocytes), cells were cultured for 7 days and immunochemically stained against germ cell marker protein Vasa. Areas occupied by Vasa-positive cells indicated that vitrification led to better survival of germ cells than the freezing method, and the best result was obtained with 5 M PG, about 50% recovery of germ cells following vitrification. In the case of ovarian cells containing oogonia and stage I, II, and IIIa oocytes, vitrification with 5 M DMSO resulted the best survival of oogonia, with equivalent cell numbers to those cultured without vitrification. The present data suggest that male and female gonial cells of the endangered species
G. caerulescens
can be efficiently cryopreserved using suitable cryoprotectants for spermatogonia and oogonia, respectively.
Propolis, a natural product derived from plants by honeybees, is a mixture of several hundred chemicals, including flavonoids, coumaric acids, and caffeic acids, some of which show estrogen-like ...activity. In this study, the estrogenic activity of crude ethanolic extract of Brazilian propolis was determined using several in vitro and in vivo assays. Propolis was found to bind to human estrogen receptors (ERs). Furthermore, propolis induced the expression of estrogen-responsive genes in ER-positive MCF-7 and Ishikawa cells. These in vitro assays suggest that propolis exerts estrogenic activity; therefore, in vivo experiments were conducted using ovariectomized rats. Oral administration of propolis (55 or 550 mg/kg/day for 3 days) significantly increased uterine wet weight and luminal epithelium thickness in comparison with the corresponding values in the corn oil-treated control group. Moreover, propolis induced ductal cell proliferation in the mammary glands. These effects were completely inhibited by full ER antagonist ICI 182,780, confirming that the effects of propolis are mediated by the ER. Our data show that oral intake of propolis induces estrogenic activity in ER-expressing organs in vivo and suggest that Brazilian propolis is a useful dietary source of phytoestrogens and a promising treatment for postmenopausal symptoms.
The number of patients with schizophrenia has increased over the past decade. Previously, many studies have been performed to establish its diagnostic criteria, prophylactic methods, and effective ...therapies. In this study, we analyzed whether the ratios of DNA methylation in CpG islands of the Shati/Nat8l is decreased in model mice of schizophrenia-like phenotype using genomic DNA collected from brain regions and peripheral blood, since the mouse model of schizophrenia-like phenotype, mice treated repeatedly with methamphetamine showed increase of Shati/Nat8l mRNA expression in our previous experiment. The ratios of Shati/Nat8l CpG island methylation were significantly decreased in both the nucleus accumbens and the peripheral blood of model mice compared with those of control mice. We also investigated Shati/Nat8l methylation in the blood of patients with schizophrenia. We found that Shati/Nat8l CpG island methylation ratios were lower in the patients with schizophrenia than in the healthy controls, which is consistent with our findings in the mice model. To our knowledge, this is the first study to show similar alterations in methylation status of a particular genomic DNA site in both the brain and peripheral blood of mice. Furthermore, the same phenomenon was observed in corresponding human genomic sequences of the DNA extracted from the peripheral blood of patients with schizophrenia. Based on our findings, DNA methylation profiles of the CpG island of Shati/Nat8l might be a diagnostic biomarker of schizophrenia.
Celotno besedilo
Dostopno za:
DOBA, IZUM, KILJ, NUK, PILJ, PNG, SAZU, SIK, UILJ, UKNU, UL, UM, UPUK
Sperm cryopreservation is a valuable conservation method for endangered fish species. Here we report an easy and efficient cryopreservation method for juvenile whole testis by vitrification and ...successful sperm production from the vitrified whole testis via in vitro spermatogenesis in the critically endangered cyprinid honmoroko (Gnathopogon caerulescens). Juvenile testis (approximately 10 mm in length and 1 mm in width), consisting predominantly of spermatogonia, were aseptically dissected out and adherent fatty and non-testicular tissues were subsequently removed. Then, the testes were rapidly cooled on a nylon mesh by direct immersion in liquid nitrogen after serial exposures to pretreatment solution (PS), containing 2 M ethylene glycol (EG) and 1 M dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO), for 20 or 30 min and vitrification solution (VS), containing 3 M EG, 2 M DMSO, and 0.5 M sucrose, for 5, 10, or 20 min. The highest survival rate of testicular cells (84.0%) was obtained from testes vitrified by immersion in PS for 20 min and in VS for 10 min. Spermatogonia were recovered from the vitrified testis by dissociation and cell culture produced many haploid sperm. Fertility and developmental competence were confirmed by in vitro fertilization assays. These results indicate that the vitrification of juvenile whole testis provides a new strategy to preserve the genetic resources of endangered fishes without affecting their reproductive population.
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